1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic printing device, and in particular, to a photographic printing device and a film carrier in which a film, on which a plurality of images are recorded along a predetermined direction, is conveyed, light is illuminated onto an image positioned at an exposure position, and the image is printed onto a photosensitive material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional photographic printing devices are known in which light is illuminated onto an image recorded on a photographic film, and the film image is printed onto a photographic printing paper due to the light passing through the film image being illuminated onto the photographic printing paper. A film carrier which conveys the photographic film is disposed in the photographic printing device. A photographic film, on which images are recorded, is set at the film carrier. The film carrier is equipped with a sensor for optically detecting the images recorded on the photographic film. Each time a designation signal to position an image is inputted by an operator, the photographic film is conveyed, the image position is determined based on the results of image detection by the sensor, and the image is positioned at an exposure position to which light is illuminated.
Accordingly, each time a designation signal to position an image is inputted by an operator, the plurality of images recorded on the photographic film are successively positioned at the exposure position by the film carrier, and successive printing of the images onto photographic printing papers is carried out. When printing of all of the images, which are recorded on the photographic film and which are to be printed, has been completed, the operator stops inputting the designation signal. (During this time, the image for which printing was effected last is positioned at the exposure position). The operator replaces the photographing film set at the film carrier with another photographic film.
However, in accordance with the above structure, even at times other than during exposure, one of the plurality of images recorded on the photographic film set at the film carrier is positioned at the exposure position. In the photographic printing device, generally, the exposure lamp is always lit so that the lamp illuminance remains stable and the like. The printing of an image onto a photographic printing paper is carried out by opening a black shutter provided between the film and the photographic printing paper. Accordingly, the light from the exposure lamp is always illuminated onto the image positioned at the exposure position.
As a result, in a state in which one of the plurality of images recorded on the photographic film is positioned at the exposure position, when input of the designation signal to position an image is interrupted by, ior example, the operator being away from the photographic printing device, or when the photographic film is not changed for a long time even though printing of the images has been completed, the light is illuminated to the image positioned at the exposure position for a long period of time. Accordingly, fading of the image may occur.
In order to prevent fading, the operator must always be near the photographic printing device and must successively input designation signals to position the images so that the images are printed successively. After printing of the images recorded on the photographic film set at the film carrier has been completed, the operator must promptly carry out the complicated work involved in changing the film and the like.
Further, at the photographic printing device, a film for condition setting/management is readied in advance in order to set and manage the exposure conditions such that the image quality of the printed images is constant regardless of fluctuations in conditions such as deterioration of the light source, fading of the filters for adjusting the light, and the like. In order to appropriately manage the exposure conditions for various images exposed and recorded on a film at different exposure amounts, a plurality of images are recorded on the film for condition setting/management at respectively different exposure amounts. The film for condition setting/management is periodically set at the film carrier of the photographic printing device, and successive printing of the plurality of images onto photographic printing papers is repeated a plurality of times.
At the film carrier of the photographic printing device, the printing of images by the procedures described above is realized by the process of repeating the returning of the film once by the designation of an operator after the plurality of images have successively been printed. Because this process is carried out by the operator's designation, a drawback arises in that fading of the images recorded on the film for condition setting/management occurs easily in the same way as described above due to the input of the designations being interrupted or the like. Further, the operator's work is complicated.
When conveying of the photographic film by one image frame each time a designation signal is inputted is continued, in a case in which a designation signal is inputted after the print-exposure of the final image frame closest to the trailing end of the photographic film has been completed, the photographic film is further conveyed, and as a result, the photographic film may separate from the film carrier. If the photographic film separates from the film carrier, the operator must load the photographic film at the negative carrier again, and the burden on the operator increases.